Jelly Bean and Ice Cream Sandwich on the HTC Hero

Way back in 2009, HTC released their third Android smartphone, the HTC Hero. The device shipped with Android 1.5 (Cupcake) or 2.1 (Eclair). Yes, that’s how long ago it was! In it’s day, it was a very popular device here on XDA, attracting a good number of developers. But as with all older devices, it has since slipped by the wayside and has become somewhat forgotten. For most people, that is.

Within the last few months, both the CDMA and GSM versions of the Hero have received both Ice Cream Sandwich and, more incredibly, Jelly Bean custom ROMs added to their arsenal.

For the CDMA version, XDA Senior Member tvall brings us Ice Cream Sandwich based CyanogenMod 9. Development has slowed of late, but the ROM appears to be functional, with only camera and USB mass storage not functioning.

CyanogenMod 9 on the GSM Hero is brought to us by XDA Senior Member jordfaz. Again, there are a few minor issues, such as GPS and hardware acceleration, as well as some minor issues with the camera. Despite this, the ROM is otherwise functional.

XDA Senior Member Shelnutt2 has gone one step further and has brought Jelly Bean to the CDMA Hero in the form of CyanogenMod 10. Of course with builds of this nature, there are a number of known issues, such as audio, camera and hardware acceleration, but these are being worked on by a number of members in the ROM thread.

Not to be outdone, the GSM Hero also has CyanogenMod 10 thanks to XDA Senior Member jordfaz. Based on the CDMA version mentioned above, the same known issues apply. The ROM is an alpha build and should only be flashed if you wish to help with development or provide feedback.

If you’re an HTC Hero owner and want to try out one of these newer Android flavors, head over to one of the development threads:

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